Means for rotating oil well pipe



April 2, 1968 r c. A. RANKIN 3,375,882

MEANS FOR ROTATING OIL WELL PIPE- Filed Oct. 0. 1 5 2 Sheets-Sheet l c .4 emu/42v W INVENTOR.

C. A. RANKIN April 2, 1968 MEANS FOR ROTATING OIL WELL PIPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001,. 20, 1965 INVENTOR. BY Z United States Patent C 3,375,882 MEANS FOR ROTATING 01L WELL PIPE Clarence Arthur Rankin, 605 Apartado, Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,536 3 Claims. (Cl. 173-163) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A means for rotating well pipe utilizing pneumatic wheels supported from a common chassis, two pair of wheels being supported directly from the chassis, and a fifth wheel being supported by a pair of levers extending from the chassis so as to move the fifth wheel away from the other wheels for insertion of a pipe and toward the other wheels for frictional engagement with the pipe; the chassis containing a drive means for all of the wheels and being carried by a horizontally movable carriage.

This invention relates to means for rotating oil well pipe. A string of well pipe is made up of stands or sections of pipe which are screwthreaded end-to-end. The string of pipe is secured in and suspended from a rotary table, while a stand or section of pipe is screwthreaded into or out of the secured string of pipe.

Heretofore, rotation of the stand of pipe has been accomplished by wrapping several turns of rope or chain about the pipe and pulling the rope or chain with the cathead. Power driven or manually operated pipe tongs are used to break or free the pipe joint or to tighten the joint. When making up a string of pipe, the lower end of each stand of pipe must be manually guided into the upper end of the string of pipe held in the rotary table.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a means for rotating a stand of well pipe which eliminates the use of a chain or rope wrapped about the pipe and which centers the lower end of the stand-of-pipe thereby minimizing the manual effort and dangers inherent in the method previously used, as well as to reduce the time required to make-up or break a pipe joint.

A further object is to provide a means for rotating well pipe which is supported on a track above and clear of the workmen and is movable by remote control between an operative position, and an inoperative position clear of the work area, and which is activated and deactivated by remote control.

A further object is to provide a means for rotating well pipe which utilizes pneumatic drive wheels disposed on three parallel axes surrounding the pipe, one of the wheels being movable so that the wheels may -'be moved into and out of engagement with the pipe, and which includes drive means for all the wheels so that the pipe is frictionally engaged to effect rotation.

A further object is to provide a means for rotating well pipe which is suspended by spring means to permit limited vertical displacement.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the means for rotating well pipe showing the means by solid lines in its extended operating position and by broken lines in its retracted position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken from 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showing the driving wheels 3,375,882 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 by solid lines in their pipe driving position and indicating by broken lines, the manner in which the wheels are disengaged from the pipe.

FIGURE 5 is a substantial diagrammatical view taken in a plane parallel with FIGURE 4 showing the gear connections between the several driving Wheels.

FIGURE '6 is a reduced View similar to FIGURE 5, showing a modification wherein a chain drive is employed.

Specification The means for rotating well pipe is supported from a post 1 which is secured to the derrick floor by means of a pedestal 2. Extending from the upper end of the post 1 is a boom 3 having a track 4. Supported from the track 4 is a carriage 5 which includes pairs of rollers 6 positioned above and below the track 4.

The pairs of rollers are joined together by connecting plates 7. Interposed between the connecting plates and the ends of the rollers 6 are vertically extending slide plates 8 having slots 9 to permit limited vertical displacement of the slide plates. A horizontally extending fixed bracket 10 extends from each plate 7 and the extremities of each slide plate are provided with a pair of movable brackets 11 confronting the corresponding fixed bracket 10. Coil springs 12 are interposed between the brackets 10 and 11.

The carriage 5 involves two sets of rollers spaced axially on the track 4. A pair of suspension bars 13 extend downward from each set of rollers and are secured at their lower ends to a horizontally extending chassis 14. Mounted on the chassis 14 is a power plant 15 or, if electrical power is readily available, a motor may be substituted. In either case, the power plant or motor drives a transmission 16 mounted on the chassis. One end of the chassis is provided with diverging extensions or arms 17 which are traversed by shafts 1S having fixed parallel axes. Mounted on the upper and lower extremities of the fixed shafts 18 are two sets of drive wheels 19 and 20.

Pivotally carried by the shafts 18 are a link plate 21 and a combination link and gear housing 22. Extending between the extremities of the plate 21 and the housing 22 is a shaft 23. A drive wheel 24 is mounted intermediate the ends of the shaft 23 in a plane located between the pairs of upper and lower drive wheels 19 and The transmission 16 is connected to a drive pinion 25 located within the chassis 14. The drive pinion 25 operates through a, transfer gear 26 to drive a pair of wheel gears 27 mounted on the shafts 18'.

The shafts 18 to which the plate 21 and housing 22 are connected, is provided with a second gear 28 located within the gear housing 22. The second gear engages an idler gear 29 which, in turn, engages a Wheel gear 30 mounted on the shaft 23. The idler gear 29 and wheel gear 30 are contained in the housing 22.

Alternatively, a chain drive 31 may be substituted for the gears 28, 29 and 30 as indicated diagrammatically in FIGURE 6.

A hydraulic thrust unit 32 is employed to pivot the plate 21, gear housing 22 and drive Wheel 24. The thrust unit includes a cylinder 33 connected to a bracket 34 extending from the chassis 14. The cylinder 33 is provided with a piston, not shown, from which extends a shaft 35 which is joined to a lever arm 36 extending from the link plate 21. Extension and retraction of the thrust unit 32 moves the drive wheel 24 between the solid line position and the broken line position indicated in FIG- URE 4.

A second hydraulic thrust unit 37 includes an elongated cylinder 38 carried by the chassis 14 from which extends 3 a shaft 39 which is secured at its extremity by a clamp 40 to the post 1. An adjustable stop 41 limits outward movement of the carriage 5 on the track 4.

Operation of the pipe rotating means is as follows:

In the course of making up a string of pipe, the upper end 42 of the pipe string is supported in a rotary table, not shown. The lower end 43 of a stand of pipe is lowered into proximity to the upper end 42 of the string of pipe.

With the drive wheel 24 in its broken line position shown in FIGURE 4, the thrust unit 37 moves the carriage 5 and chassis 14 toward the pipe 43 until the drive wheels 19 and 20 are brought into contact therewith or nearly so. The thrust unit 32 is then operated to move the drive wheel 24 to the solid line position shown in FIGURE 4.

The stop 41 is so positioned that when engaged, the drive wheels 19, 20 and 24 center the pipe 43 with respect to the pipe 42. Before the wheels are in actual gripping engagement with the pipe 43, the pipe 43 is lowered into the pipe 42 until the screwthreads are in initial engagement or are in close proximity, whereupon the drive wheels are rotated so that the pipe 43 is frictionally engaged and rotated the proper direction to screw the two sections of pipe together. When this operation is completed, the thrust unit 32 is operated to move the drive wheel 24 clear and the thrust unit 37 is then operated to move the entire structure clear of the pipe.

Make-up of the two pipe sections is completed by use of tongs in the conventional manner.

When it is desired to uncouple two sections of pipe, the tongs are first used to break the connection, whereupon the drive wheels are brought into frictional engagement with the pipe 43 and the pipe is rotated until the two sections are completely disconnected.

The spring suspension permits limited axial movement of the drive wheels to accommodate the necessary axial movement of the pipe 43; however, the drive wheels may be canted slightly so that the pipe is driven upward or downward in the course of disconnecting or connecting the pipe sections.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the details of the construction set forth, but instead, the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the various parts and their relationships as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for rotating oil well pipe while suspended in an oil well derrick, comprising:

(a) a chassis suspended in said derrick for movement between an operative position and a retracted position;

(b) a set of wheels carried by said chassis for frictional engagement at opposite sides of a suspended oil well pipe;

(c) means for moving at least one of said wheels to receive said pipe within said set of wheels;

((1) means for driving at least one of said wheels thereby to rotate said pipe;

(e) a supporting boom having a horizontal track;

(f) and a carriage including rollers movable on said track, vertically yielda'ble suspension elements, and means for suspending said chassis therefrom.

2. Means for rotating a well pipe while suspended in a well derrick, comprising:

(a) a boom including a horizontal track;

(b) a carriage movable on said track, and a vertically yieldable suspension means;

(0) a chassis supported by said suspension means and including a pair of diverging arms;

((1) a pair of shafts having relatively fixed vertical axes journalled in said chassis and extending above and below the chassis;

(e) a pair of wheels mounted at opposite ends of said shafts;

(f) supporting members hinged to said chassis at the upper and lower sides thereof;

(g) a wheel ournalled between said supporting members for movement between a position in opposition to said pairs of wheels for frictionally gripping said suspended pipe, and a position driving said pipe;

(h) and a drive means carried by said chassis and connected with all of said wheels for rotating said wheels in unison.

3. Means for rotating a well pipe while suspended in a well derrick, comprising:

(a) a horizontally extending chassis including a pair of diverging arms;

(b) a pair of shafts having relatively fixed vertical axes journalled in said chassis and extending above and below the chassis;

(c) a pair of pneumatic wheels mounted at opposite ends of each shaft;

((1) a pair of levers pivotally connected to the upper and lower extremities of one of said shafts;

(e) a pneumatic wheel journalled between the extremities of said levers for movement between a position in opposition to and midway between the pairs of wheels, whereby all of said wheels are in frictional engagement with a well pipe therebetween;

(f) a drive means carried by said chassis and connected with all of said wheels thereby to rotate all of said wheels in unison; (g) and means for supporting said chassis.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,401,405 12/1921 Hole 173164 3,122,211 2/1964 Wilson 173164 3,125,172 3/1964 Tilden 173145 X 3,144,085 8/1964 Hasha 173164 3,181,630 5/1965 Coburn 173-164 X FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

L. P. KESSLER, Assistant Examiner. 

